A SWAT vehicle carries police officers near the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015. At least 14 people were killed in the shooting at a social services facility. (Micah Escamilla/Los Angeles News Group via AP)

WASHINGTON (MEDIA GENERAL) – As the nation watched video of car chases and blood-soaked workers sobbing in the streets of San Bernardino, Calif., Washington Democrats reacted with a mixed sense of frustration and resignation.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan marked his first official Christmas tree lighting on the Capitol lawn by calling for an opening moment of silence, a leadership duty that’s become commonplace. Ryan implored attendees to “keep the victims and their families in your prayers right now.”

“Gun violence is a crisis of epidemic proportions in our nation,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). She continued, “Congress has a moral responsibility to vote on common sense measures to prevent the daily agony of gun violence in communities across America.”

As news of the San Bernardino murders broke, Congressman David Cicilline (D-R.I.) was on the floor of the House announcing plans to introduce an assault weapon ban.

Your "thoughts" should be about steps to take to stop this carnage. Your "prayers" should be for forgiveness if you do nothing – again.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) invoked the Sandy Hook school massacre in his home state and challenged his colleagues, saying in part, “Not a single senator or member of Congress can go back to their state this weekend and claim they are doing their job.”

“We should never think this is something that just happens in the ordinary course of events because it doesn’t happen in other countries,” President Barack Obama added.